What it takes to earn your place - Julian Andrews

Julian Andrews, a professional photographer for 17 years, has recorded the performances and lives of sportspeople at the highest level. For this particular book he decided to look at amateur athletes at the top of their sport. He followed the Oxford and Cambridge squads for several months, often living with them for days at a time. His beautiful collection of photographs capture their lives both on and off the water as they strove to win a place in their respective crews.Through the winter months Julian's journey took him skiing in Switzerland, rowing in freezing fog in Spain, experiencing spectacular red skies on the Ouse and competing with icy rain on the Thames. As a squad member says: 'Winter can only be described as hell. It's only when you face the bitter elements that you realise just how punishing the weather can be'.His pictures capture the stories of tension and pain, of winning and losing, and giving your all in order to be successful. Most people never experience this level of commitment or this degree of pressure. Race day itself is the culmination of months of hard work and preparation. Then it's 17 minutes of pushing yourself beyond your limit to beat the opposition. The intensity climaxes with the Boat Race itself, with the eyes of the world watching; one rower describes it as being claustrophobic. These emotions are etched on the faces of the rowers and frozen forever in this stunning collection of photographs, celebrating the 150th Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race...."not just a beautifully crafted book - it's a magnificent collectable record of a unique historic event." Cambridgeshire Life "A stunning photographic record of the long journey preparing for the 150th Boat Race." John Goodbody, The TimesPhotography by Julian Andrews